Kingdom Seeds

26He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.” 30He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” 33With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. (Mark 4:26-34, NRSV)

How do things grow? Well, we know that when you plant a seed in the ground it is fed by the nutrients in the soil and the sun and water and it sprouts and grows. But how does it really work?

It just does. And sometimes the smallest seeds become the largest plants. it is how God works.

So believe and have faith that God will complete the good work begun in you. And know you are here for a reason.

More Parables

21He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? 22For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. 23Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” 24And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. 25For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” (Mark 4:21-25, NRSV)

Light a lamp to be seen.

Jesus lit your light so it might be seen. Jesus put a light in your life so it might be seen, not for you to become famous, but so that Jesus might be seen.

Let your light so shine that the world sees not you but Jesus.

The Sower Explained

10When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; 12in order that ‘they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.’” 13And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? 14The sower sows the word. 15These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. 17But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, 19but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. 20And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” (Mark 4:10-20, NRSV)

Sometimes we will see what Jesus has told us in a way others may not. We can understand a little clearer the message He is sharing with us.

Sometimes we can see why others may not accept the grace and love and understand what is happening.

Even if we don’t we still need to share the word and the story of God’s grace and love in our lives.

The thing we are called to do is to share the love of God in everything we do.

Share!

The Parable of the Sower

Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3“Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. 7Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” 9And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” (Mark 4:1-9, NRSV)

We are all called to share the word or to spread seed. We are to always tell the story of God’s grace everywhere we go.

Sometime people will be open and receptive and sometimes there will be things that will keep the seed from sticking…

Ours if not the worry about how the seed takes but to cast it far and wide. Telling everyone about the love and grace of God.

Mother and Brothers

28“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” 31Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” 33And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:28-35, NRSV)

Who is your family?

Are they blood-related?

I have family that is blood-related, but I also have family that are not blood-related to me. They have chosen me and I have chosen them. Jesus says whoever does His will and the will of the Father is His family.

So do you chose to follow Jesus and be in His family?

Plundering the Strong man

21When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” 23And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. (Mark 3:21-27, NRSV)

in order to take things from a strong man, you must first tie him up.

A house can not be for Jesus and against Jesus for it will collapse on itself.

So are we following where Jesus is leading us?

Sometimes following Jesus will lead us to things that the world around may not like and they might call us mad, will we still follow Jesus?

Jesus Appoints the Twelve

13He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. 14And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, 15and to have authority to cast out demons. 16So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Then he went home; 20and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. (Mark 3:13-20, NRSV)

The 12 here are not the same 12 in other gospels. But Jesus appointed 12 men to go and share the good news with the world. The men He had chosen who were given to Him by the Father.

And just as Jesus chose these 12 Jesus chooses you and send you.

Are you ready to go into the world and share His love?

More Public Healings

7Jesus departed with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed him; 8hearing all that he was doing, they came to him in great numbers from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region around Tyre and Sidon. 9He told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him; 10for he had cured many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. 11Whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and shouted, “You are the Son of God!” 12But he sternly ordered them not to make him known. (Mark 3:7-12, NRSV)

Why do you follow Jesus?

The people here were following because they heard what Jesus had done. They knew what He had done and they wanted Him to do the same or better for them and their loved ones. They followed Jesus because they wanted something?

Why do you follow Jesus?

Today people say if you say you believe in Jesus then you are saved and won’t go to Hell. Is that why you follow Jesus? If so you follow Jesus to get something.

We should follow Jesus because He loves us as we are and to show the world they are loved by Him.

Why do you follow Jesus?

A Sabbath Healing

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” 4Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. (Mark 3:1-6, NRSV)

Is it wrong to heal on the Sabbath?

If you see the law as black and white then yes. Healing is working and working is wrong on the Sabbath. But was the law made so we can follow rules or we know better how to love each other and God?

The Law should point us to love. Not to keep people in bondage.

Love freely as God freely loves you.

Grain on the Sabbath

23One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” 25And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? 26He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” 27Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; 28so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” (Mark 2:23-28, NRSV)

The law says you can’t do work on the Sabbath, but if you are hungry and need to eat then you need to work. The day of rest was made for man because God rested. So if there is a need greater than rest that need trumps the day.

We need to remember the reason the law was given, to help us grow closer with God. So grow in your relationship not in the amount of rules you keep.